Device for massaging by means of air suction



Nov. 4, 1952 1.. s. HOLBROOK 2,616,417

DEVICE FOR MASSAGING BY MEANS OF AIR SUCTION Filed May 25, 1950 In uenfor.

Z'ou'z's SHOlbl'OOR ATTORNEX Patented Nov. 4, 1952 OFFICE DEVICE FOR MASSAGING BY MEANS OF AIR SUCTION Louis S. Holbrook, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 23, 1950, Serial No. 163,710

(01. 12s ss) 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for utilizing air suction applied to specific surface areas of the human body in such a manner as to stimulate the circulation of the blood and thereby develop to normal function and improve the condition of such parts as need to be treated for that purpose.

More specifically, the present invention pertains to an apparatus for using air suction to develop women's breasts, and to tone up the tissues of the breasts so as to render that portion of the body more resistant to diseases and malignant growths.

While it is not new in the art to which this invention pertains, to provide means to utilize air suction, to draw an increased blood supply to various surface portions of the human body, yet there remains room for improving such devices so as to better adapt them for use in the privacy of the home, and to render them as efiicient in operation as devices of that class commonly employed by physicians as a part of their oflice equipment.

Heretofore it has been a common practice to rely upon the elasticity of rubber bulbs to produce the air suction when such bulbs expand after being manually contracted. But the suction thus produced is not always as strong as is to be desired. Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a means which the user herself may operate which will produce an amount of air suction that will always be adequate for the intended purpose.

Also a specific object of the invention is to provide a foot operable means for producing the air suction, so that both of the hands of the user will be left free to maintain the suction cups or other applicators in contact with the portions of the human body being given treatment.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view, on a scale larger than the remaining views. illustrating the 'manner of using the apparatus for the purpose of applying a suction massage to both breasts at the same time.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the complete apparatus, except that parts thereof are shown in section and portions of the tubing are broken out to contract the size of the view.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the plane indicated by the line 33 on Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, important parts of the apparatus are: a basal framework 5, an air pump cylinder 6 supported upon said framework with its axis extending vertically, an air' pump operating pedal 1, twin elastic breast cups 8, and the tubular air conduit sections [0, II, and I2.

The aforesaid basal framework 5 includes a wooden heel rest member 14 to which the pedal 1 is swingably connected by means of a hinge l5. With this heel rest cooperates a one-piece wire frame having twin diverging basal end runs [6, the extremities of which are embedded in said wooden member M. In the midlength portion of the wire framework 5 is a horizontally disposed U-shaped bend I! which underlies and is welded to the bottom of the pump cylinder 6 by welds H112, and from this U-shaped bend twin side runs I8 extend downwardly to and are continuous with the aforesaid basal wire runs IS. The concave side of the U-shaped run I! is directed toward the heel rest member M, and through this U-shaped bendextends a vertipiston rod I9, the upper end of which is connected to a piston head structure 20 and the lower end of which is contained as C-shaped run 2|, the open end of the 0 being directed toward the aforesaid pedal 1, and its lower end portion underlying the free end portion of the pedal 1 and being directed upwardly at Zla into the socket of a small block 22 secured to the lower side of the free end portion of said pedal. Said terminal portion Zla carried by the lower extremity of said piston rod structure has a sufliciently loose fit within the socketed block 22 to operate properly when the pedal is depressed from the full line to the dotted line position of Fig. 2. The upper part of the piston rod I9 is surrounded by a compression spring 23 which automatically restores the piston head to the upper limit of its travel each time the pedal 1 is used to depress it.

Each aforesaid basal wire run l6 has a rubber sleeve 24 mounted upon it as shown to prevent marring the floor upon which the device is supported.

The aforesaid breast cups 8 are desirably made of a plastic material and are suitably contoured for being snugly but comfortably abutted firmly against the skin around the breasts While the device is being used. Each of said cups is tapered to a nipple-like end portion 25 which has closely fitted around it the adjacent end portion of the tube 12 with which it is connected, said tube thus being diametrically expanded by stretching as 3 indicated at 26 where it surrounds the part 25 with an' air tight fit.

In Fig. 1 the user of the device is shown in a standing position with the heel of her right foot positioned upon the heel rest l4, thus positioning the front portion of that foot for operating the pedal 1, while both her hands are free to hold the two cups 8 against her breasts in the manner illustrated. She can now repeatedly depress the pedal with whatever amount of force she desires, thus suction-treating her breasts in an efiicient manner.

The C-shaped part 2| of the piston rod is sufficiently resilient to aid materially in accommodating the reciprocatory movement of the piston to the arcuate movement of the socketed part 22.

I claim:

1. In a massaging device of the kind described,

a framework having a basal portion and an up-.

standing portion locatedat one side of said basal portion, a pedal having an endportion pivoted to. said basal portion adjacent to the side thereof opposite to said upstanding portion to swing in Va vertical plane, a piston cylinder. mounted in an upstanding position upon said upstanding portion of said framework, a piston comprising a head in said cylinder and a rod extending downwardly from said head and projecting at all.times below the lower end of said cylinder, a spring in said cylinder underlying said head automatically to raise the latter, means operat vely. conn c i th downw rdly je t,- ing-portion, ofsaid rod with said pedal for downward: movement of the rod and pistonhead against-the opposition of said spring by the depression of said'pedal, cups for applying airsuction to surface portions of the users body, and flexible air suction conduits connecting said cups with the ,upper part of said cylinder.

2. In a massaging device of'the kind described, a framework having a basal portion and an upstanding portion located at one side of said basal portion, a pedal having an end portion pivoted to said basal portion adjacent to the side thereof opposite to said upstanding portion to swing in a vertical plane; a piston cylinder mounted in an upstanding position upon said upstanding portionof said'framework, a piston comprisinga head in said cylinder and a rod extending downwardly from said head and projecting at all times below the lower end of said cylinder, a spring in said cylinder underlyingsaid head automatically to raise the latter, the lower end portion of said piston rod terminating in a C-shaped bend which includes within it the free end portion ofsaid pedal, and a socketed block depending from the free end portion of the pedal into the socket of which, loosely extends the upwardly directed lowerextremity of said C-shaped bend.

3-. The subject matter of claim 2, and'said C- shaped part of said rod being sufiiciently resilient to aid materially in accommodating the reciprocatory movement of said rod to the swinging movement of said pedal.

4; In a massaging device of the kind described, a frame having a basal portion to rest upon a floor, a pedal pivoted to said basal portion and swingable in a vertical plane, a piston cylinder mounted upon said frame, a piston having a working fit in said cylinder and operatively connected with said pedal to be retracted thereby, a spring operatively connected with said piston to restore it to normal position after retraction, cups for applying air suction to surface portions of the users body, and flexible air suction conduits conn'ectingsaid cups with said cylinder.

5. In a massaging device of the kind described, a frame having a basal portion including a heel rest, a pedal pivoted to said basal portion and swingable in a vertical plane, a piston cylinder mounted upon said basal portion, a piston having a working fit in said cylinder and operatively connected with said pedal to be retracted thereby, a spring operatively connected with said piston to restore it to normal position after retraction, cups for applying air suction to surface portions of the users body, and flexible air suction conduits connecting said cups with said cylinder, said pedal being positioned for operation by one foot of a person standing adjacent to said basal portion with a heel upon said heel rest when the basal portion of said frame is resting upon a floor.

6. In a massaging device of the kind described, a stiff wire frame having a basal portionwhich includes two diverging runs of wire in the same plane for resting upon a floor, a heel rest member carried by that side portion of said frame from which said two runs diverge, the wire of said runs atthe opposite side of said'frame being directed upwardly so as to form a standard, a pistoncylinder the axis ofwhich extends vertically and the lower-end of which issecured to the topof said standard, when the device is in operative position there being a spacious clearance between the lower end of said piston and the floor, a pedal having one end pivoted to the aforesaid heel rest and its opposite end vertically swingablein said clearance, a piston having a working fit in the aforesaid cylinder, means operatively connecting the free end portion of said pedal with said piston, a spring operatively connected with said piston to restore it to normal position after retraction by said pedal, cups for applying air suction to surface portions of the users body, andair suction conduits connecting said cups with said cylinder.

'7. The subject matter of claim 6 and the wire which forms said standard being in a single piece having a horizontal, U-shaped' top run upon which said piston cylinder rests and to which it is secured.

LOUIS S. HOLBROOK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 532,236 Hardesty Jan. 8, 1895 667,447 Miller Feb. 5, 1901 720,865 Watson Feb. 17, 1903 1,179,129 Maxam Apr. 11, 1916 

